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Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) utilize enzymatic catalysts to convert chemical energy to electrical energy, typically by performing a 2e- oxidation of saccharides. In the case of sugars, a single 2e- oxidation does not fully exploit this energy-dense fuel that is capable of producing 24e- from its complete oxidation to CO2. Here, we propose an efficient approach to design a versatile EFC that can produce electrical energy from 12 (oligo)saccharides by combining two enzymes that possess diverse substrate specificities: pyranose dehydrogenase (PDH) and a broad glucose oxidase (bGOx). Additionally, PDH is able to perform single or two sequential oxidations of glucose (at C2 and/or C3) yielding up to 4e-, whereas bGOx only performs a single 2e- oxidation at the anomeric (C1) position. By combining PDH and bGOx, we demonstrate the ability to achieve deep oxidation of glucose and xylose, whereby each is able to undergo sequential oxidations by PDH and bGOx. Additionally, we demonstrate that this deep oxidation can yield improved performances of EFCs. For example, an EFC comprised of a bi-enzymatic PDH/bGOx bioanode using xylose as a fuel yields a maximum current density of 586 ± 3 µAcm-2 whereas mono-enzymatic PDH or bGOx EFC bioanodes result in current densities of 440 ± 4 µAcm-2 and 120 ± 1 µAcm-2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flavin-dependent enzyme pyranose oxidase catalyses the oxidation of several pyranose sugars at position C-2. In a second reaction step, oxygen is reduced to hydrogen peroxide. POx is of interest for biocatalytic carbohydrate oxidations, yet it was found that the enzyme is rapidly inactivated under turnover conditions. We studied pyranose oxidase from Trametes multicolor (TmPOx) inactivated either during glucose oxidation or by exogenous hydrogen peroxide using mass spectrometry. MALDI-MS experiments of proteolytic fragments of inactivated TmPOx showed several peptides with a mass increase of 16 or 32 Da indicating oxidation of certain amino acids. Most of these fragments contain at least one methionine residue, which most likely is oxidised by hydrogen peroxide. One peptide fragment that did not contain any amino acid residue that is likely to be oxidised by hydrogen peroxide (DAFSYGAVQQSIDSR) was studied in detail by LC-ESI-MS/MS, which showed a +16 Da mass increase for Phe454. We propose that oxidation of Phe454, which is located at the flexible active-site loop of TmPOx, is the first and main step in the inactivation of TmPOx by hydrogen peroxide. Oxidation of methionine residues might then further contribute to the complete inactivation of the enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyranose 2-oxidase (POx), a member of the GMC family of flavoproteins, catalyzes the regioselective oxidation of aldopyranoses at position C2 to the corresponding 2-ketoaldoses. During the first half-reaction, FAD is reduced to FADH2 and reoxidized in the second half-reaction by reducing molecular oxygen to H2O2. Alternative electron acceptors including quinones, radicals or chelated metal ions show significant and in some cases even higher activity. While oxygen as cheap and abundantly available electron acceptor is favored for many processes, reduced oxygen reactivity is desirable for some applications such as in biosensors/biofuel cells because of reduced oxidative damages to the biocatalyst from concomitant H2O2 production as well as reduced electron “leakage” to oxygen. The reactivity of flavoproteins with oxygen is of considerable scientific interest, and the determinants of oxygen activation and reactivity are the subject of numerous studies. We applied site-saturation mutagenesis on a set of eleven amino acids around the active site based on the crystal structure of the enzyme. Using microtiter plate screening assays with peroxidase/2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) and 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, variants of POx with decreased oxidase activity and maintained dehydrogenase activity were identified. Variants T166R, Q448H, L545C, L547R and N593C were characterized with respect to their apparent steady-state constants with oxygen and the alternative electron acceptors DCPIP, 1,4-benzoquinone and ferricenium ion, and the effect of the mutations was rationalized based on structural properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyranose dehydrogenase (PDH), a member of the GMC family of flavoproteins, shows a very broad sugar substrate specificity but is limited to a narrow range of electron acceptors and reacts extremely slowly with dioxygen as acceptor. The use of substituted quinones or (organo)metals as electron acceptors is undesirable for many production processes, especially of food ingredients. To improve the oxygen reactivity, site-saturation mutagenesis libraries of twelve amino acids around the active site of Agaricus meleagris PDH were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We established high-throughput screening assays for oxygen reactivity and standard dehydrogenase activity using an indirect Amplex Red/horseradish peroxidase and a DCIP/D-glucose based approach. The low number of active clones confirmed the catalytic role of H512 and H556. Only one position was found to display increased oxygen reactivity. Histidine 103, carrying the covalently linked FAD cofactor in the wild-type, was substituted by tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and methionine. Variant H103Y was produced in Pichia pastoris and characterized and revealed a five-fold increase of the oxygen reactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugar oxidoreductases such as cellobiose dehydrogenase or pyranose oxidase are widespread enzymes among fungi, whose biological function is largely speculative. We investigated a similar gene family in the mushroom Agaricus meleagris and its expression under various conditions. Three genes (named pdh1, pdh2 and pdh3) putatively encoding pyranose dehydrogenases were isolated. All three genes displayed a conserved structure and organization, and the respective cDNAs contained ORFs translating into polypeptides of 602 or 600 amino acids. The N-terminal sections of all three genes encode putative signal peptides consistent with the enzymes extracellular secretion. We cultivated the fungus on different carbon sources and analyzed the mRNA levels of all three genes over a period of several weeks using real-time RT-PCR. The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene from A. meleagris was also isolated and served as reference gene. pdh2 and pdh3 are essentially transcribed constitutively, whereas pdh1 expression is upregulated upon exhaustion of the carbon source; pdh1 appears to be additionally regulated under conditions of oxygen limitation. These data are consistent with an assumed role in lignocellulose degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient enzymatic bioprocess is described in which lactose, an abundant renewable resource produced by the dairy industry, is completely and efficiently converted with a specific productivity of up to 32 g (kU h) -1 into lactobionic acid, without the formation of any by-products. The key biocatalyst of this new process is the fungal enzyme cellobiose dehydrogenase which oxidizes several β-1,4-linked disaccharides including lactose specifically at position C-1 of the reducing sugar moiety to the corresponding lactones. The electron acceptor employed in this reaction is continuously regenerated with the help of laccase, a H 2 O-producing, copper-containing oxidase, and therefore has to be added in low, catalytic amounts only. Redox mediators that were successfully employed in this novel process and hence are compatible with the laccase regeneration system include benzoquinone, ABTS, ferricyanide, or ferrocene, amongst others. Factors affecting operational stability of the biocatalysts employed in this process include the redox mediator used, the temperature, and importantly the volumetric gas flow necessary for maintaining the dissolved oxygen tension. Lactobionic acid is a mild and sweet tasting acid with excellent chelating properties. These useful characteristics have lead to a growing number of patents for diverse applications in the food, pharmaceutical and detergent industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines the occurrence of synergistic antifungal interactions between fungal hydrolases and fungitoxic compounds. Enhancement of antifungal properties by addition of chinolytic or glucanolytic enzyme; ED50 values for inhibition of spore germination; Relation of synergism of mechanism of action of toxins.

• PDH is a rare enzyme found only in a narrow group of fungi (Agaricaceae). • PDH has a remarkably broad substrate specificity for the electron donor (sugar) substrate. • PDH is capable of oxidizing the substrate in more than one position. • PDH with a C1-specific enzyme yields up to six electrons per substrate molecule. • Modifying the N-glycosylation pattern of PDH improves Direct Electron Transfer. Pyranose dehydrogenase is a flavin-dependent carbohydrate oxidoreductase classified among Auxiliary Activities Family 3, along with structurally and catalytically related enzymes like pyranose oxidase and cellobiose dehydrogenase, and probably fulfils biological functions in lignocellulose breakdown. It is limited to a rather small group of litter-decomposing basidiomycetes adapted to humic-rich habitats, and shows an equally rare combination of structural and biochemical properties. It displays broader substrate specificity and regioselectivity compared to similar enzymes, catalyzing monooxidations at C1, C2, C3 or dioxidations at C2, 3 or C3, 4, depending on the pyranose sugar form (mono-/di-/oligo-saccharide or glycoside) and the enzyme source. It is unable to utilize oxygen as electron acceptor, using substituted benzoquinones and (organo)metallic ions instead, which suggests a role in redox cycling of (hydro)quinones and complexed metal ions. Pyranose dehydrogenase is a promising candidate for enzymatic sensors of various sugars, for the anodic reaction in enzymatic biofuel cells powered by carbohydrate mixtures, and as a versatile biocatalyst for the production of di- and tri-carbonyl sugar derivatives as chiral intermediates for the synthesis of rare sugars, novel drugs and fine chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The presented work reports the isolation and heterologous expression of the p2ox gene encoding the flavoprotein pyranose 2-oxidase (P2Ox) from the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The p2ox cDNA was inserted into the bacterial expression vector pET21a(+) and successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. We obtained active, fully flavinylated recombinant P2Ox in yields of approximately 270mg/l medium. The recombinant enzyme was provided with an N-terminal T7-tag and a C-terminal His6-tag to facilitate simple one-step purification. We obtained an apparently homogenous enzyme preparation with a specific activity of 16.5U/mg. Recombinant P2Ox from P. chrysosporium was characterized in some detail with respect to its physical and catalytic properties, both for electron donor (sugar substrates) and – for the first time – alternative electron acceptors (1,4-benzoquinone, substituted quinones, 2,6-dichloroindophenol and ferricenium ion). As judged from the catalytic efficiencies k cat/K m, some of these alternative electron acceptors are better substrates than oxygen, which might have implications for the proposed in vivo function of pyranose 2-oxidase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]